Russian cops to pass their driver’s tests again

29 Jul, 08:02 PM

Calling for an end to the “bacchanalia on the roads,” Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliev ordered all police who use patrol cars to pass their driver’s tests again within a month, Kommersant reports. He spoke today at a video conference of law enforcement officials, convened specifically to discuss road safety in Russia.

Nurgaliev took note of the large number of road accidents involving police, saying he was “ashamed to look at the statistics.” Policemen with poor driving skills should be dismissed, he said, since they are often required to drive in extreme situations.

The minister also mentioned the high number of children killed in traffic accidents. About 100 children have died after being hit by cars this year in Russia, and one in every eight of them was killed by a drunk driver, he said. Nurgaliev added that lack of parental supervision played a role in many of those deaths.

Nurgaliev noted that Russian roads are poorly managed – signage is insufficient and traffic flow is badly planned. Nonetheless, that situation has improved greatly in the last three years, he said.

Many accidents result from violations of elementary traffic laws. Nurgaliev noted that Russian drivers have a better overall performance record when driving abroad rather than at home.